Optimizing corn silage quality during hot summer conditions of the tropics: investigating the effect of additives on in-silo fermentation characteristics, nutrient profiles, digestibility and post-ensiling stability

作者：Nazir Ahmad Khan, Nadar Khan, Shaoxun Tang, Zhiliang Tan · 发表于：Frontiers in Plant Science · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.3389/fpls.2023.1305999 · 被引用次数：22 · 研究领域：Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology、Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems、Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems

Corn crop grown and ensiled at high temperature have lower water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population, lactic acid concentration, fermentation quality and aerobic stability. This study systematically investigated the effects of heterofermentative LAB (hetLAB), homofermentative LAB (homLAB), molasses and their mixture (MIX) on in-silo fermentation characteristics, chemical profiles, Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) carbohydrate subfractions, in vitro digestibility (DMD), microbial count, and post-ensiling aerobic stability of whole crop corn silage during hot summer (30 to 45°C) condition. Corn hybrids (P30K08 and DK6789) were ensiled at targeted dry matter (DM) of 330 g/kg for 0, 3, 7, 21, and 150 days in 3 L silos, without additive (CCS) or treated with hetLAB (4×10 6 cfu/g Lactobacillus buchneri ), homLAB (1×10 6 cfu/g of L. plantarum ), molasses (3% of fresh forage) or MIX (half of individual doses of homLAB, hetLAB and molasses) additives. The CCS, homLAB, hetLAB, molasses, or MIX treated chopped material of each hybrid were ensiled in 16 replicate silos at a density of 260 kg of DM/m 3 . Compared to CCS, the additives significantly improved silage nutritional and fermentation quality, DM digestibility ( in vitro ), count of LAB, DM recovery and aerobic stability, and decreased counts of yeast and mold. Among the inoculants, the homLAB and MIX inoculated silages had greatest improvement in fermentation quality and...